Book Title: I am Jazz
Author: Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
Jessica Herthel is a LGBTQ advocate who goes to different schools advocating for rights of the LGBTQ community.
Jazz Jennings is a transgender teen and main character of the story. She is the inspiration for this story.
Date published: 2014
Awards: None (that I found)
Where you found the book: Dr. Greene brought it in.
Summary: I am Jazz is a story based on the life of Jazz Jennings. The story goes through the thought process of went through Jazz’s head and how she knew she was transgender. From the time that Jazz Jennings was about 2 years old, she knew that she wasn’t in the right body. She loved things that girls did like dress up and the color pink. She knew she was transgender. Unfortunately, her family didn’t understand and still made her dress up as a boy. When she was taken to the doctor, the doctor explained to the family that Jazz was born transgender. As she grew up, teachers at the school were confused and didn’t know how to handle the situation. Jazz wanted to be with her friends and do things that normal girls did. When the teachers changed their minds Jazz finally felt like herself. There were/ are of course people who bully her, but she just ignores it and embraces the fact that she in now comfortable.
Review: I personally really liked the book and it wasn’t one of my first options so when I saw it in class I was really drawn to it. I was drawn to it openness and how I think a lot of children will understand it because of how easy it is to read.
I think it is very stereotypical on how she starts as a boy but just because she likes dressing up as a girl and her favorite color being pink meant she was a girl. But since it is about Jazz you can’t really change how she knew. Also the terms “girl clothes” and “boy body”, if you’re trying to educate children try not to use these gender binaries and stereotypes.
Another thing I felt wrong about the book was how they made Jazz white, when she isn’t in real life.
I thought this was a very good book for children to read so they know the basics of what it means to be transgender and what it’s like for someone who is. I think it was a very inspirational story that I would have in a classroom.
